U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis: The US Isn't Trying To Conquer Afghanistan

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made his remarks before the House Armed Services Committee on February 6.

Washington Examiner: Jim Mattis: The US isn't trying to conquer Afghanistan

Afghanistan may be the "graveyard of empires," but the U.S. has no imperial ambitions there, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told lawmakers Tuesday.

Mattis defended the U.S. strategy designed to break the will of the Taliban, under questioning from Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Jones invoked the famous “graveyard of empires” quote.

The North Carolina lawmaker, whose district includes Camp Lejeune, cited recent news headlines suggesting the Taliban is threatening 70 percent of Afghanistan. He also cited complaints from an internal Pentagon watchdog that the U.S. military was withholding information that would help the American public understand if President Trump’s new strategy was working.

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Update: Mattis Faces Congressional Criticism of Local Corruption, Pedophilia in Afghanistan (US News and World Report)

WNU Editor:  The U.S. may not want to conquer Afghanistan .... but they have been there for 16 years, and it looks like the U.S. is going to stay for a very long time.